Ofdiftallt members : Oftbe wrongjt~lly ExcommtmiGate: Ofpreje11Ce at Erroneotts Wo~p1ip. 8.43 Qg_efl:. 65. May one be aPaft_or or 11 member of aparticular Chttrcb wholi'Veth (o j ar · from it, ao to be uncapable of peifon.1l (onmmnion with.th~m ~ . 'An[ If• THe Nam~ is. taken from the Relat~un; and. the Rela.ri?n is foundc4 in. Capacity, 1\.igbt~ and ObiJgauon to adual Cornmumon, duttes and pr1v1le:dgcs; •· He tnat is fo flatcdly dijfanJ is uncapable {iattdly of Communion, and therefore Ulzcapablt of theRellltio'kt and Name. 2· He that is but for a1ime acciden~ally fo diftant, is bur for that time uncapable of Communion with them: And therefore rctaincth, Cap.city, Rigbt and obligation jlatedly for the futztrt, but nor for the prefint e:cercife. Therefore he retaineth the Rtldtionand nanie, in relped: to his future intended cxerclfc; but not in fo plenary afenfe, as he that is capable of prefcnt Communion. . 3· It is not the l'"gtbor jhortnrfs of the Time of abfencc that wholly cutteth olf or continuerb the Rtlafionand Name, but the probability or improbability of a fcafonable acccffion. For ifa man be re– moved b~a a day, wirh a purpofe to return no more, his relation ceafeth. And if a man be long purpofing and probably like to return, and by ficknefs or othcrwife be hindered, it doth not wholly end his relation. , ~ 4 • If the delay be fo long as either maketh the rctutn improha~lt, or as neeetlitateth the Church to have another 1\atcdly in the PaRors place, where they can have but one, and fo the people by taking aoother, confent (though with grief) 10 quit their relation and title to the former, thetll: the Relati– on is at an end. 5· It is a delu{ory formality of iome, that call themfdvcs members of a fc:parated (or other ) Church, from which they moft ordinarily and ftated\y live at.ah utter dillance, and yet take themfelves to be no members of the Church where they live,"and ufually joyn with : And all becaufe they Cove• nanutl with one and not with the other. Qgefl:. 66. If a man be injuriottjly fuf}ended or Excommunicated by the Paftoror people, which wayjhalll~e haw remedy ~ · ; .A.nfw. AS is aforcfaid in cafe of male-adminilltation; t. By admonilhing the Pallor or thofe thar wrong him. 2· By confulting Neighbour Paftors, that they may admonilh him ; 3• 'By the help of Ru!m, where fuch arc, and the Churches good forbids it not. 4• In c.fe of extre– mity by removing to a Church that will not fo injure you. And what needs there any more, fave patience? <l!:Jell:. 67. 'Dotl, prefmce alwayes make~ .t;t~ilty of tl,eerrours_or Jat~lts of the Paftor ill Gods lVorjhtp, or of tiJe (l>urch ~ Or lllli>IJat cafes are weguilty ? Anfw. ,, IF it alwayu made us guilty no man could joyn with any P•fior or Church in the world, without being awilful finner. Bce~ufeno man woriliippeth God without fin, in matter or manner, ornifiion or comrniffion. 2. If it never made us guilty, it would be lawful to joyn with Mahometans and Bread-worlhip. pcrs, &c. . 3· Therefore the following decifion of the quellion, in what cafis it if a duty or a fin to {eparate, doth decide this cafe alfo. For when {epar•tion is no duty, but a fin, there our prefencc in the Wor· tbip is no fin: But when fc:paration is a duty, there our prefence is a fin. 4· Efpecially in thefc two cafes our prefene< is a fin; '' When the very .A.ffimbly and Worjhip isfo bad as God will not accept, but judgeththe (•bf!ance of it for a fm. 2• In cafe we our felvcs be put upon any fin in Commtmirm, or as a previous condition of our Communion ( As to make Jorne falfe profeffion)or to declare our confent to other mens fin, or to ~ommit corporal vifible reputative Idolatry, or the like ). But the Paftor and Church !hall anfwer for their own faults, and not we, when we have caufe to be prefent, and make them not ours br any finful action of our own. PpPpp Q!efl. . .
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